Eurodad and the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) are pleased to present this session as part of the Virtual C20 Summit.

Whilst there is agreement on some issues between the C20 and G20 with regard to infrastructure, there are also important areas of disagreement. One of the most controversial is financing. The G20 continues to pursue its goal of establishing ‘infrastructure as an asset class’ to meet the backlog of infrastructure investment. The C20 is sceptical of this approach, particularly with regard to low-income countries where the risks for private investors are high and the prospects for generating reliable revenue streams low. It advocates instead for strengthening public institutions, increasing public investment and improving transparency and accountability.

This session will provide insights into C20 and G20 perspectives on these matters questioning the dominant narrative being promoted by some private investors and global leaders, and advocate for financing solutions that put people before profit.

This panel aims to emphasise the implementation of a people-centred connectivity structure, with a focus on reliability and resilience. It will also explore ways to reduce costs to support public investment while increasing sustainability and accountability. Panelists will consider how existing infrastructure can be adapted to respond to disruptions related to climate change and pandemics by strengthening public institutions and supporting the development of community-led infrastructure.

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Panellists

• Petter Matthews, C20 Steering Committee Member and Infrastructure Working Group Chair; Executive Director, Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST)
• Lisa Elliston, Co-Chair G20 Infrastructure Working Group
• Maria Jose Romero, Policy and Advocacy Manager - Publicly-backed Private Finance, Eurodad
• Priti Parikh, Senior Lecturer and Board Member, University College London (UCL) and Engineers Againist Poverty
• Haifa Al Mogrin, Chair, G20 Development Working Group
• Nadia Nikolova, Board Member and Director Long-Term Infrastructure Investors Association and Infrastructure Debt Allianz Global Investors
• Rakan bin Dohaish, Policy Lead, Infrastructure Working Group, Saudi G20 Finance Track
• Ciro Salazar, Infrastructure Planning and Monitoring, Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR)

This webinar is being organised with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Eurodad and its partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union